New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-09

THE ELEVATED RAILROAD SLAUGHTER
1t Is OF considerable Importance that the
responsibility for the fearful disaster on the
Third Avenue Elevated Railroad yesterday
morning should DO clearly traced and firmly
established Colonel Hahn has shown, to bis
own satisfaction, apparently, that the corpora
ton he represents cannot be held accountable
for it, The chief ground of this assertion Is
the claim that the passengers who left the train
to walk to the Fourtccnth-st. station along tho
narrow plank path did so in spite OF the pro-
tests of the trainmen. But this Is not by any
means demonstrated. 1t is stated. according
to some accounts, that the trainnicn offered
no opposition to the action Of the passengers.
It Is further stated that the trainmen, whether
or not they protested in words against the
course of the passengers could not have done
ANYTHING to prevent the departure from the
train. because the cars werc so crowded that
there was hardly room to move, the platforms
being as full as the interiors. This is rea-
sonable explanation of the passivity Of the
trainmen. 1t is possible that they may not
have been able to act effectively in preventing
the rush from the train but it certainly does
not follow that the corporation Is entirly free
from responsibility for the disaster Of yesterday
Let 1t be granted that the trainmen failed to
prevent the fatal exodus because tho cars were
80 crowded that they had hardly room to move
The crowding Of the cars then must have been
the originating cause Of the disaster. But is
not the corporation responsible for that The
answer Of Colonel Hahn perhaps would he that
the public themselves are responsible for 1t {;
that they insist upon crowding into cars al
ready filed to their seating capacity and that
il an attempt was made to prevent this over
crowding there would be a general outcry.
There is no doubt much truth in this but not
the whole truth. 1t is the duty of the corpora
tion to furnish moro than mere standing ROOM
and In allowing its cars to be crowded 1t falE
in this duty. Moreover, In so doing it disables
its own servants from tho proper performance
OF their duties and, as the present case shows
renders them incapable Of protecting the pas
sengers committed to their charge 1t is self
evident that if these cars had only been filled
10 their seating capacity tho trainmcn would
have been able to prevent any one from passing
out of the platform gates. and then the subSe-
quent slaughter would have been avoided. "
course, the passengers acted ccklcssly. but
it must bc remembered that they could not
know tho extent of the danger they wero IN
curing Their anxiety to get TO their work
ovcrcamc all other considerations. and even a
it was, they would probably have escaped had
the trains remained standing still. The whole
of the mischief can lie traced finally 10 the
disregard Icy the cooperation Of ITS own
obligations aud OF the public con-
venencc which causes the elevated
railroad trains to he systematically oycrcrowded
morning and evening, and this is a manifest
abuse which ought to be put an end TO by
compelling the companies TO increase tho ciii-
cheney Of their service.